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Star Alliance announced today that it is adding its second intermodal partner. Austrian Federal Railways, commonly known as ÖBB, will offer rail connectivity with Star Alliance member airlines’ flights from Vienna International Airport (VIE) and major Austrian cities like Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Graz.
This is the second train operator to partner with Star Alliance as Germany’s Deutsche Bahn became a partner back in August 2022. The Star Alliance Intermodal Partnership model makes it possible to combine an alliance-wide airline network with railway, bus, ferry, or any transportation options. With a combined ticket, passengers can earn points or miles for their train journey in their preferred Star Alliance frequent flyer program.
This month marks Austrian Airlines’ 25 years of membership in Star Alliance. Currently, 16 of the 25 Star Alliance member airlines fly to and from Vienna International Airport (VIE) with more than 1,300 weekly flights to 135 destinations.
Theo Panagiotoulias, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer, said:
Air and Rail have complemented each other as transport modes for several years around the world, and we are proud to welcome ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, to the Star Alliance family. With a single ticket, customers can now reach from Singapore to Salzburg, switching from a flight to Railjet at the Vienna airport. I am confident that not only will this partnership offer more choice, but it will also enhance the seamlessness in customer journeys.”
Star Alliance is not the only airline alliance to offer train options. In September, I wrote about how SkyTeam was adding its first non-airline partner. Eurostar joined the alliance and offers integrated intermodal trips via air and rail for millions of passengers. In October, I covered Italy’s leading rail operator, Trenitalia, joining SkyTeam.
Anthony’s Take: Partnerships like these make it simpler to plan trips and earn miles. I like the idea of booking a combined ticket when I know I need to be in a smaller city that does not have great air connectivity.
(Image Credits: Star Alliance and Trenitalia.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
